Folk Tails
by Lorelai Lui
Summary: AU Ever since her mother died, Lucy has been told by everyone that magic was always a lie. That is, until she meets a guy with a talking cat. NaLu Rated M for future mature content and smut.
1. Chapter 1 - Summer

**Chapter 1 - Summer**

 **Summary: AU Ever since her mother died, Lucy has been told by everyone that magic was always a lie. That is, until she meets a guy with a talking cat. NaLu**

 **Synopsis: While looking for signs of the magic she and her mother grew up believing in, Lucy meets a pink-haired rebel seemingly tied up in the world of magic that she has been desperately searching for all her life. What she finds is danger, hardship and an infinite wonder and excitement that makes her realise what it means to be alive.**

…

Lucy scrolled through yet another blog, engrossed in a detailed, first-hand account of someone experiencing the supernatural. She rubbed her toes together impatiently, shifting the pillow to make herself more comfortable.

The woman had finally found the hidden room in the attic and she had decided to bravely confront the ghost haunting her house. She was just about to open the door…

"Eek!" She jolted back, surprised at yet another 'don't look behind you' ending of yet another creepy story.

"Well, that was another fake." Lucy said to herself, disappointed.

For years, she had been running a blog in hopes of finding real paranormal activity out there, but reality had a habit of crushing all things magical. It was hard because she had finally taken the plunge and escaped home under the guise of a 'communications degree' and now she couldn't find any leads to what she was looking for.

Lucy sighed, staring hopelessly at her nightstand where a photo of her mother rested with that same bright smile she had before she died, except the picture captured her when she was still healthy and a little less terminally ill.

She cradled the photo frame in her hands and spoke as though her mother was there, smiling at her complaisantly as she always did. "Mum you promised me that magic was real and I believed you. Were you just humouring me like a kid to distract me from the fact that you were _sick_?"

Lucy's voice cracked and she tried to hold back the quiver of her chin. Quivering chins were always the first phase before breakdown and she knew that if she could master the chin she would be okay.

She searched her memory and vague recollections and knew that bath time always included mermaids. They _were_ real and she just had to find them. Her mother had proven to her time and time again that there was magic in the world and her father was just gas-lighting her.

What right did he have to say that they were lies? He was never around anyway.

Just because six different child psychiatrists and four different doctors told her she was wrong didn't mean they were right.

It was early in the day and she had already gotten herself in a funk. Before she decided to get two tubs of ice-cream and spend a week watching Disney movies, Lucy decided to get out of her pyjamas and leave the house.

Standing in front of the mirror she picked out her sexiest casual which happened to be a tank top and a miniskirt and touched up her make up. In this humidity, another shower was probably a good idea but it would take forever for her hair to dry and she was way too close to just moping around the house to risk a hair malfunction.

Looking over at her vanity she spied the expensive perfume that she bought while she was still financially reliant on her father and shrugged. "A girl's got to treat herself."

She sprayed her wrists and neck a little more liberally than she usually did but self-esteem was the best pick-me-up that she had in a new city with no friends.

Lucy looked into the mirror and gave her trademark photogenic smile but it didn't really reach her eyes. She suddenly couldn't bare looking at herself and stuffed her phone and notepad in her handbag before heading out the door.

….

Lucy predicted the weather perfectly. It was hot and sticky the moment she left her apartment complex.

"I should have been a weather girl." Lucy mumbled to herself sarcastically.

Looking to her side, she noticed some of her neighbours were watching her suspiciously as though she were crazy for talking to herself.

"Don't mind me!" Lucy said, raising her hands. "Just one of those ear piece phones – Isn't technology just so advanced lately?"

She laughed maybe more forcefully than she should of but it was the city and her neighbours were busy so they didn't feel the need to play sleuth with her and walked away with a quick wave and an uneasy smile.

It was hard to figure out where to go now that she was out of the apartment but when you're living on a tight budget you learn that it's torture to stay anywhere that tempts you to spend money.

The mall was a death sentence because she knew herself well enough that if she found a beautiful pair of heels she would definitely forego eating for a month just so she didn't have to let them go. A café would have her charged on enough caffeine that she wouldn't sleep for the rest of her life.

The best place, most wholesome place to go was probably the park.

Her spirits lit up at the thought of people watching and just relaxing under a tree or in the sun. The thought of just hanging around in a public space probably seemed a little dull to some people but she never got to experience relaxing around strangers and she genuinely liked to imagine their life story.

Her father had different ideas because to him they were the 'unwashed masses' and he would rather take a private jet and stay at exclusive private resorts than sit shoulder to shoulder with someone or just simply relax where other people happened to be relaxing too.

When Lucy could finally see the unnaturally green and lush landscape surrounded by cement and passing cars she could not help but smile to herself. When she stopped at the lights, she smashed her finger against the pedestrian walking button obsessively and almost broke out in dance when the little man turned green.

She made a beeline for her favourite spot which was by the giant fountain situated right in the middle. It had beautiful stone ladies holding large jugs of water with elegance and poise, which Lucy loved because it reminded her of her childhood.

Expecting to hear the soft calm of nature mixed with distant cars, instead Lucy heard a crowd of women screaming adoringly and wondered what the commotion was about. Being home schooled and for the most part locked away at home, she had her fair share of celebrity crushes from the singing teen heartthrob she made a collage of at puberty to the gorgeous actors on the screen, always fit and muscular and seemingly always playing the role of a bad boy with attitude.

She had a type and she wasn't afraid to admit it.

When Lucy peered over all the girls and women surrounding this guy, she quickly realised he was not her type. To be honest she didn't expect the man to be any women's type but from the crowd that gathered she knew everyone was entitled to their own opinions.

"I am the mighty salamander!" He yelled, the audience clapping and cheering for him. "Who here wants to speak to a loved one who has passed into the other world?"

The crowd cheered even louder now and immediately he had drawn her in and piqued her interest. He brought his hands low and fanned them, silencing the crowd and pressed his hands to his temple as though in a deep trance. The crowd instinctively bunched together closer as his eyebrows furrowed and he began to speak.

"I'm hearing a 'Lo' or a 'Lay' or a 'La' or maybe even a 'Lu'?" He opened his eyes inquisitively, a confident smirk stretched across his features as he surveyed the crowd.

"My mother's name was Layla and I'm Lucy!" Lucy yelled, much louder and excitedly than she should have.

Maybe it was a stupid reflex or maybe – just maybe – her mother's spirit had guided her here today and this was the most important moment in her life. There was no way that anyone would lie or trick people about such an emotionally charged issue like a deceased loved one just for tips in a park.

Still, Lucy looked over at his tip jar. Even if those were just dollars, he had probably made more than she ever could in a month.

He held out his hand and the crowd parted like it was the red sea. When Lucy walked forward he grabbed her hand and kept her close, his other hand dangerously low on her back. In any other circumstance, she would have backed as far away as possible but if this guy could give her a message from her mother than she would accept a little bit of intrusion in her personal space.

"Layla was very important to you and she passed away at a very turbulent time in your life." He murmured solemnly, speaking more to the crowd than to her.

Lucy frowned.

Describing her childhood as 'turbulent' was an understatement. Turbulence is a couple of minutes of shakiness on a plane. Her childhood was probably an earthquake where continents split and the only damage is from a destructive, never-ending cyclone. After careful consideration, a team of the world's best and brightest meteorologists named it 'Daddy Issues' without disagreement.

"Layla said that the most important thing in the world is love, and that you don't have to look very far to find it." He said, his smile and open arms all too practiced.

"Awww" The crowd cried with endearment in unison as they clapped and cheered.

While waving, she caught his sour breath as he whispered in her ear, "Meet me after the show and let's go somewhere, yeah?"

Lucy's fists were shaking and she had never been more embarrassed, ashamed and angry at herself in her entire life. She didn't think it was possible to truly lose hope in humanity but she was so close in those moments to either breaking down in tears in a public place or calling her father's office and admitting that he was right and just going back home to do whatever he told her was best in life.

Before she could weigh up what option seemed less soul crushing, an angry voice sounded from the crowd and she watched as a guy pushed past all the smitten women and pointed his finger right in the sick bastard's face.

"You're taking advantage of people. That's not how talking to spirits works." He accused angrily. "All you're doing is cold reading."

Lucy had heard that term before.

From what she understood, it was basically fishing for terms that are easily relatable to lots of people like money, or relationships or being sick - then baiting a response to lead into something maybe a little more specific. It only really worked well with an audience like this one where there were so many people to hook onto his trick and Lucy hated herself for falling for something so obvious.

The crowd was a little less sceptical and immediately turned on the poor guy that had called the con-artist out. Taking a glance at the cold reader, Lucy noticed that she had recognised him from somewhere.

He was probably a popular television personality, hence the devoted crowd.

"No, let's here the guy out!" Lucy raised her voice.

It was good feeling like a martyr but not so much to be yelled at by dozens of angry people who desperately wanted to get in the con artist's good books so they could hear something comforting from a dead loved one.

Before things turned into a full-blown riot, she felt a strong, warm grip wrap firmly around her wrist and before she knew it she was pulled along, laughing and running like crazy. Lucy watched as the crowd dissolved and became just figures in the distance and she swung her head forward to really see who rescued her.

He was everything she fantasised about when reading romance novels.

She would never lose him in a crowd with that head of pink hair and his arms looked so strong that he could probably lift her up on each arm without breaking a sweat. Most of all, he was not the kind of guy that she could invite home without immediate disapproval from her father and that was what turned her on most.

When they could finally slow down Lucy pressed her palms against her knees and caught her breath. Even though he was the only person that she had met in real life that fell under her list of 'people I would like to get naked with', she wasn't very good at dating and she had zero experience with men in general so it would be best for her to pass and go home before she embarrassed herself.

"Are you okay?" He asked, pressing his hand against her shoulder.

Looking up, Lucy said the first thing that came into her head. "Do you want to get lunch with me?"

"If you're paying." He joked, his smile so big that Lucy almost swooned.

"Yeah of course I will!" Lucy agreed as a reflex.

She frowned awkwardly for a moment and thought things through. She didn't want to come off as desperate or lonely or just a complete pushover but she was all those things right at that second and there was no point playing it off now.

"You're a really great girl." He praised her with genuine gratitude. "Your name is Lucy, right?"

Lucy grinned harder than she ever had in her life and it felt good to exercise the muscles in her face. It was hard to describe how elated she felt when hearing someone praise her with such absolute confidence. She almost wanted to record him saying that so she could replay it whenever she had a rough time.

"Yeah, and you are?" She asked.

"Natsu. Natsu Dragneel." Natsu said and then turned towards a small cat that she didn't quite notice before. "And this is Happy."

Lucy had to admit it was kind of weird to just have your cat hanging around you, especially in the city where drivers didn't care what they hit, be it puppies or old ladies, but it was kind of endearing and almost cute that he introduced his cat like it was a person.

"Hi Happy, I'm Lucy." She introduced, opening her palm for the cat to sniff.

The cat sauntered over to her and pressed his paw against her palm. "Nice to meet you, Lucy."

Lucy thought for a second that she was just imagining the talking, but she had never hallucinated before and there was no way that she was starting to now. Still, the only cat she had heard talking was on that old show about the teenaged witch and that was just television and she was sane enough to know that wasn't real.

"You're either the subtlest ventriloquist or the best cat trainer in the world because I think I just heard your cat talk and I'm not crazy." Lucy said, her heart hammering.

It was debatable whether or not she was crazy, and that had been extensively debated, but she knew deep down that she was completely sane and that she did definitely hear that cat talking.

"Yeah, of course he talks. It's not like he's stupid or anything." Natsu said defensively.

"Don't worry Natsu, she probably just hasn't talked to a cat before." Happy responded, sitting back and swishing his tail casually.

"Come on, she must be pretty sheltered if she hasn't talked to a cat."

Any normal person would have probably institutionalised themselves at this stage but instead, Lucy smiled apologetically. "I was home-schooled and I've never had any pets before."

"Happy isn't a pet, he's a friend!" Natsu bristled.

Lucy's heart gave out and she instantly adored him. It was so sweet that he defended his friend so passionately and she didn't really mean it that way.

"He's my friend now too, right Happy?" Lucy said in mock offense.

"Right!"

Now that things had calmed down a bit, in hindsight there were some things Lucy wanted to ask them about. For starters, Natsu had said that the con-artist had not truthfully talked to spirits which meant that he knew there was a correct way that he was aware of. The other clue was there was no way that a talking cat was not involved in something at least partly supernatural. Privately, she thanked all the hours of free time watching television for helping her suss that one out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a synchronised growl of hunger from both their stomachs and she smiled sympathetically. "Lunch is on me, guys."

….

It was hard to describe the mixed feelings she felt while watching Natsu eat. On one hand, she was internally crying because he was sucking up her food money for the month like a vacuum cleaner and he didn't even bother being picky. Natsu just picked everything on the menu and ate everything in sight. On the other hand, he conformed to every sexual fantasy partner she had ever dreamed of and his personality was endearing enough to be boyfriend material.

Nevertheless, she was definitely not the kind of girl to just go with the first guy she got to know. Also, there was no way that a guy like that would go for her.

"I'm only just noticing it now but Lucy, you smell really good." Natsu said, as he took a moment to shovel more food into his mouth.

"Really?" Lucy blushed. "Thank you…"

All of the careful self-restraint she just built up immediately went out the window. Clearing her throat, she decided if she didn't start asking questions now, she would never get around to doing it.

"So, when you were talking about talking to spirits…" Lucy started, grabbing out her notepad and pen.

"Oh yeah..." Natsu said, chewing through a beef brisket like it was nothing. "Mirajane said that it's impossible to talk to ghosts and all that stuff. Half the time what people communicate with is just not human."

"When you mean not human, you mean?" Lucy scribbled, a shiver crawling up her spine.

"Demons, abnormalities, you know." When Natsu finished his meals, he reached over for the bread basket on the adjacent table. "Stuff you definitely don't want to be talking to."

Lucy's mouth hung open and she hoped to god that he wasn't just a crazy person.

"Natsu this is really important to me so if you're just playing around just tell me now and save me from the disappointment." Lucy said, her fingers shook as she tried to grip the table as hard as she could. "When I was younger, my mother had a mermaid. She told me all these really important things about magic and my father always told me it was a lie."

"Oh, geez…" Natsu said, scratching the back of his head while he thought of what to say. "I'm sorry, Lucy - can't say I've seen any mermaids."

Lucy crumped and slumped back, entirely dejected that she probably got the best lead she would ever get and it ended up being just another dead end.

"Listen, just because I haven't seen any doesn't mean they aren't real." Natsu said apologetically.

It meant the world to her that he said that.

"You know, everyone has told me that I must be crazy when I tell them that story." Lucy said gently. "You're the first person who hasn't."

"Lucy…" Happy sounded concerned.

Natsu was obviously frustrated and uncomfortable that he couldn't help and Happy looked sadder than a cat should, so Lucy thought it best that she should leave. It was bad enough that she almost got scammed by a degenerate profiting off the misery of others but she also had to go and make a cat depressed.

"Don't worry guys, I've got this." Lucy said, trying to lift the burden she unloaded on them. "If I can find more genuine people like you, I'll have this mystery sorted in no time."

Natsu and Happy both thumped their hands – and paws - on the table as a synchronised idea popped up in their heads.

"Lucy why don't you come with us and meet some people from the guild?" Happy said with newfound pep.

"Erza knows pretty much everything and she might be able to help you out." Natsu added.

Lucy felt a little jealous that he spoke so highly of another woman but she was kind of jumping the gun to go full possessive girlfriend when they had only just met.

"That would be really great…" Lucy said, tears prickling her eyes. "I've been alone, in this big city for ages and I've never had any friends in my life and it means so much to me that you're willing to help me out this much. I hope this isn't one of those scams where you lead me through a back ally and murder me or something."

The word vomit just toppled out and she wished that she was more used to talking to people.

"You're kind of weird, Lucy." Natsu said.

…..

They had to walk the entire distance and it lead through some pretty shady streets. It was way longer than her daily jog, because the sun was already starting to go down and her feet were killing her. At least she would be able to settle for those two tubs of ice-cream if things didn't work out without the guilt of extra calories.

Lucy genuinely wondered if Natsu was like a modern Ted Bundy minus the car or something similar but no, he said he genuinely was taking her to the guild headquarters and that he had severe motion sickness that stopped him from using any form of transport.

He admitted it begrudgingly so there was no way that it was an easily prepared excuse.

Lucy wondered if she should tease him and say that the world was constantly in motion, but that was cruel and if he got sick thinking about it then they might end up taking longer. That was bad because she had learned first-hand that walking through the city and through neighbourhoods like this at night was like asking to be stabbed and mugged.

Strangely enough, she felt safe with Natsu. She had this odd feeling that he could take on anyone and anything. Almost enough to ask him to carry her, but they weren't that close. Yet.

"So, what do you do anyway, Natsu." Lucy asked, trying to keep a steady flow of conversation.

"We do fire shows in the park or at restaurants and stuff on the side." Natsu said casually. "Mostly we do odd jobs."

"Fire shows at the park?" Lucy asked, incredulous. "That sounds really, really dangerous."

"Yeah, that's what the city council said." Natsu laughed, as though it were funny. "I got busted for going and doing it anyway right before we met."

Lucy pressed her temple as she felt a headache coming on. They weren't running because it was like some kind of romantic comedy and he liked her or something, they were doing it because some council member or cop had caught onto him doing something stupid.

"Come on, there was a fountain nearby if anyone caught on fire." Natsu said, sensing her annoyance.

"It's not like trees could just go and uproot themselves and roll into the fountain. Or what about the grass, Natsu?" Lucy scolded him as if they were an old married couple.

"I've seen trees walk before so it _could_ happen."

"He's right, Lucy." Happy joined in. "We've definitely seen trees walking."

Lucy softened. "You guys must see lots of cool stuff. I wish I could see all that weirdness with you too."

Natsu and Happy both hummed and looked at each other, as though sharing a conversation that only the closest bond could translate without words. Growing up, Lucy wished she had a twin so she could have someone she could communicate with that deeply.

They reached the headquarters – if you could call it that – before the sun went down. It was basically a large cement slab with a massive rectangular brick building that looked kind of like a storage warehouse.

If this was where she was going to get murdered she was okay with that because her feet hurt too much to walk anywhere nicer.

Lucy took a moment to prepare herself.

Deep breaths.

When Natsu opened the doors, she felt like it was something out of a movie.

"Is this Narnia?" She murmured, mostly to herself.

It was as though she had drifted into a different universe where outside was a warehouse and inside was this amazing tavern with a rustic wooden interior and an upstairs level that was visible from the entrance.

There were wooden benches everywhere where people laughed and drank. She spied some brawling in the distance and she wondered if this was some kind of highlander scenario where she had crossed into a different time period where that's just what people did to pass the time.

As they walked towards the bar, Natsu greeted everyone as they passed as though he had known them all his life. It was weird that all of these people were so… normal.

She expected creepy or mysterious, but definitely not normal people of all ages. She even spied some kids here and there.

"Mirajane!" Natsu called out, grinning.

When they walked over to the bar, Lucy felt immediately self-conscious. She expected some kind of creepy, depressing Satanist – not this white-haired bombshell. She was supermodel gorgeous and she was so nice and welcoming it was like she didn't know any guy would bend over backwards for her.

"Hi, I'm Lucy." She said sheepishly.

"It's really sweet that Natsu has finally brought a girl here." Mirajane said.

The implication was apparent enough to make Lucy blush but Natsu was oblivious to any kind of hint.

Natsu wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulder and she tried her hardest to focus on anything other than his yummy musky scent. Her eyes lingered on a magazine and her heart stopped when she realised that Mirajane was the cover-girl.

Mirajane Strauss was a European model that was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Lucy always wondered how much photoshop had a hand in that and staring at her in person, she realised that she was much more beautiful than in any of her pictures.

"Lucy has some questions and I thought I would bring her here to talk to Erza." Natsu explained. "Where is she?"

Mirajane smiled apologetically, before refilling a drink for a tiny old man that sat close by on a stool. "Erza is out right now on a job and she's not expected back for another couple of days at least."

Lucy's heart dropped.

"Aw, man…" Natsu groaned.

"If there is anything I can do, feel free to ask." Mirajane offered, smiling.

"I'm looking for a mermaid. She disappeared when my mother died…" Lucy's voice shook as she spoke.

"Oh honey," Mirajane frowned. "Why don't you and Natsu go have a look at some jobs and I will see if someone can get in contact with Erza in the meantime. I'll get your paperwork sorted afterwards."

Lucy saw the big notice board and looked through each individual request. It had to do with all things mystical and more. There were some things that she didn't understand and had never even heard of and it seemed to span all over the globe. Requests flooded in from everywhere - from England to Japan and even in isolated areas of Russia.

When Lucy saw the rewards for every request her eyes almost bulged out of her head. It was dumb that she didn't get Natsu to foot the bill with the amount of cash he would be bringing in from these jobs.

"Natsu what did Mirajane mean by paperwork?" Lucy asked absentmindedly as she looked through all of the notices pinned to the board.

"N-Natsu?" When no answer came, she had to do a double-take and saw him already engaged in a brawl.

"What's up, Lucy?" Happy asked, preoccupied with a fresh fish.

"What paperwork do I need to do?"

"You just have to register your name with Fairy Tail and you can be a licenced guildmember." Happy licked the bones clean and moved on to another fish.

Lucy hadn't thought that she would be able to join and do jobs with everyone. She thought that it was exclusive to skilled people and that it was a lot more selective than that, but it made her so happy that they all just welcomed her into the fold without question.

"You guys!" She crushed Happy to her chest in a big hug and rubbed her cheek against his fur.

Not only could she spend more time with everyone and go on exciting adventures, but she could hustle and bring in enough money to pay off months of rent and then some.

"Lucy, you're crushing me with your boobs." Happy's voice was too muffled for anyone but her to hear him.

Mirajane appeared before Happy lost consciousness and Lucy reluctantly let go. In her arms, she had a stack of papers and a tray with beautiful stamps and colours. Her smile was so welcoming Lucy wondered if anyone had ever successfully said no to her.

"I couldn't get a hold of Erza and they said that it may take even longer than expected." Mirajane said sadly.

Lucy should have felt disappointed, but she was honestly so excited to see and experience the world as they did that she didn't mind. She could find her mermaid on the side or maybe she would find a clue during a job. Everything was working out for the best.

"I've marked where you need to sign your name so if you want to just go through the contract I'll answer any questions you have." Mira sensed her excitement and got straight to the point. "After that, you can customise your fairy mark."

Lucy skimmed through the contract as quickly as she could and signed without hesitation. In any other situation, it was probably a terrible idea, but she was so used to flicking through terms of service and just clicking agree that the severity of a contract didn't really phase her.

"That design is so cute." Lucy said, looking at the stamp. "I hope it doesn't wash off…"

"It's kind of like a painless tattoo." Mirajane explained, wiping down the back of her hand. "It won't come off unless you want us to take it off."

When Mirajane finally pressed the beautiful stamp against the back of her hand, Natsu came over and yelled out to everyone, "Everyone we've got a new member!"

All the people in the room stopped their squabbles and raised their glasses with a cheer.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy!" They roared in unison.

All her life, she never once even had a friend. In just a day, she had a room full of people that felt like family.

….

 **Thanks for reading guys!**

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	2. Chapter 2 - The Isles Prologue

**Isles Arc: Part 1**

 **Hi everyone! This is the prologue to the first arc and I really hope you enjoy it.**

…..

Waking up with a strong arm around your waist was a first for Lucy, but hey, a girl can't complain. Although, waking up with two separate arms on either side was way too adventurous for her tastes. The tail tickling her nose was just the icing on the cake.

Lucy jumped up and yanked the sheets with her when she realised that she was in underwear mode. Victoria's Secret were having a sale and she wanted to spoil herself with some sexy lingerie, but not when there were two guys and a cat in her bed with her.

Grabbing her phone, she snapped a few shots in case the perverts would make a run for it, when she noticed a head of pink hair and another guy that was wearing-

"Oh my god are you naked?!" Lucy screeched, jumping from foot to foot to get rid of her squeamishness. "I can't believe this is happening to me."

Taking a closer look, he was pretty good looking. He was also really familiar, but she had seen so many faces in the last couple of days that it was hard for anyone else but Natsu to stick. He lay sprawled out, with abs that looked so perfect they were airbrushed, and a trail of hair that went down to his-

Lucy had to look away. It didn't matter how good he looked. It was still too much to process and from the way he looked, also _way_ too early in the morning. She blushed.

Natsu woke up to her freaking and gave her a smile that made everything feel okay and she relaxed, inwardly happy that he was there and this wasn't some sick and twisted break-in. He wasn't wearing a shirt and that let her boy-crazy mind run wild with something a little more wholesome.

After all, Lucy knew how the old idiom went.

Better the Adonis you know than the Adonis you don't.

"Lucy, this is Gray." Natsu introduced, yawning.

Natsu was either too tired or too oblivious to notice the _elephant_ in the room and it made Lucy feel as though she somehow overreacted. She pressed her palm against her forehead and hoped to god she still had that value pack of pain relief because it was going to be a long day.

"You're the new guild member, right?" Gray said, offering her a handshake.

She didn't notice that he snuck up on her so she tried the tactic of just looking only over his shoulders and no lower, but she had to look down to know where his hand was.

"Gray," Happy called, rubbing his eyes with his paws. "Your clothes."

"Oh."

Gray genuinely looked embarrassed, as he scratched the back of his head and tried to cover himself. To ease the tension, she helped him out by passing him the blanket and he wrapped it around his waist while nodding thanks. She got a quick glimpse of his back and tried to stop herself from drooling while she figured out what to do next.

When Lucy calmed down, she noticed that both of them were staring at her, with faces red and eyes wide. When she looked down, she screamed and ran at both of them, punching Gray in the chin and kicking Natsu in the head before racing into the bathroom to hide.

"Oi, what was that for?!" Natsu growled.

"I don't want you to look at me!" Lucy cried through the door-frame.

"Then just say so, don't hit me!"

Privately she thanked Victoria's Secret for the extra self-esteem boost again, but she wasn't the kind of girl to show off her goods to anyone except maybe herself in the mirror and she didn't want anyone to think otherwise.

The image of a smiling, sleepy Natsu filtered through her mind and Lucy wondered if she would ever change her mind about showing her goods. The honest answer was - right now? No. In the future? Definitely maybe.

"Lucy, we're sorry. Come out and talk?" Gray's voice was muffled by the door and she felt touched that he cared.

Opening the door gingerly, she made a beeline for her wardrobe and pulled out a ratty oversized shirt to hide her distractions. Gray was already dressed and making himself comfortable on her couch with a coffee. He looked so good in clothes but now all she would ever see was his… everything.

Natsu wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she felt hot at his touch. She kind of wanted some space from him because her feelings were a little too intense for her liking. It was scary that just a touch was this electric and addictive when she had only just met the guy.

Also, Lucy was still kind of annoyed with him.

"We've all got a job from Mirajane and we're flying out today." Natsu explained, pumped up like it was the super bowl.

"Score!" Lucy yelled, throwing her hands up.

Gray handed her the dossier and a coffee he made for her while she was in the bathroom. She already liked him, he seemed like a really nice, genuine guy.

"The job is in the Northern Isles of Scotland. A family reported that they have had their home ransacked almost every night, but nothing has been stolen. We think it's some kind of house spirit that is up to mischief so Mirajane thought it would be an easy first job for you." Gray ran her through the basics as she read through all the information Mirajane could compile.

Looking over the facts quickly, Lucy noticed the reward for the job and her heart stopped.

"This job pays out thirty-thousand dollars?" Lucy was flabbergasted.

"Split three ways that's ten-grand each." Gray agreed.

"So how are we paying for this trip? I don't think I have enough to really cover a plane ticket let alone somewhere to stay…" Lucy said, biting her lip.

She noticed that Gray liked when she did that and made a personal note to avoid that nervous tick while they worked together. Natsu did not pick up on the mood too well, but she could feel the hostile vibes he directed at Gray when Natsu's grip tightened around her shoulder.

Gray flashed a card between his two fingers and from her previous life as a rich girl, she instantly knew that these guys were serious business.

"That's what company cards are for." Gray said with a smirk. "We have you covered, Lucy."

This was not how she imagined exorcists or psychics or whatever. They were genuinely like a business and she knew first-hand that you have to be a top-class business for the bank to just offer credit cards like that. Even her father couldn't get something that exclusive.

Resting her head on Natsu's shoulder, she acquiesced. "Natsu, please remind me to thank you again. This is seriously amazing."

"We're a team, we don't need to thank each other for anything." Natsu smiled.

The moment was perfect until Natsu and Happy's stomachs roared and Lucy hoped that they could use the company card on the incoming food bill.

….

Everything was going okay until they were ready for take-off. Natsu was as sick as a dog and it was almost impossible to smuggle Happy into the passenger carry-on luggage. Having the window seat was always kind of a big deal for her, but since they were a party of three, they were situated in the middle three seat section near the toilet.

Flying economy was fine, but that said kind of ridiculous when they had a platinum business credit card. Apparently, the guild had a hierarchy system where only the top dogs could fly business class and both Natsu and Gray were terrified of having Erza find out.

Often Lucy wondered who this mysterious Erza was, but a social media search of any of them was near impossible.

"Please fasten your seat belts and stay seated while the plane takes off. Shut any open windows or compartments as well as the board resting in front of you."

Lucy phased out as they ran through the first aid and life-vest tutorials before take-off. She could probably run through the entire process off by heart by the amount of times she'd been on a plane. At first, she felt lucky that she was one of the only people her age who had practically been everywhere across the globe. The only problem was it got old fast when most of the time was spent alone or with nannies.

Just as they started to take off, Natsu unclicked his seat belt and ran to the bathroom. She watched as a flight attendant raced towards the bathroom and carefully knocked on the door.

"Sir, can you please go back to your seat and wait ten minutes before you use the bathroom?" The flight attendant said politely, still knocking as the sounds of Natsu retching were heard throughout the plane carriage. "Sir, please…"

Gray got up to try to handle things, but Lucy already had everything covered.

"Hi, I'm a friend of the person in that bathroom there." Lucy smiled, trying to ease the worried woman. "He just gets a little motion sickness. I'm sorry about that."

"If he is excessively drunk, we are going to have to organise a different flight for him."

Well, she cut straight to the chase.

"Let me just check up on him real quick." Lucy said, moving to grab the anti-nausea medication in the compartment.

As she rummaged around, she felt a small paw slide the medication into her palm and she whispered a quick, "Thank you."

"Can you bring us a bottle of water?" Lucy asked, without looking at the attendant.

She knocked on the door softly and tried to speak so only her and Natsu would hear. "Natsu open the door…"

She heard the latch click and opened the door gingerly, watching as he was on his knees with his head leaning on his arm as he dry-heaved into the blue water. Lucy felt so bad for him and rubbed his back tenderly.

It should have been gross and if it were anyone else, Lucy would have gagged and vomited too. Chain vomit reactions were a serious concern, especially for people their age.

As though it was second nature, she handed him a new toothbrush and toothpaste that she kept in her bag and popped out the anti-nausea medication quickly. She knew that it was wrong, but she doubled the dosage knowing that it would knock him out for the rest of the flight and he would be too busy sleeping to vomit.

It was much better than her father's stellar parenting when she was a child, having her overdose on cough syrup to knock her out before take-off. She remembered hallucinating and being so paranoid she could not sleep for the entirety of the fight.

The attendant came to hand Natsu a bottle of water and Lucy helped him take the medicine and a couple of sips while she counted down the hours for when they would finally be off the plane.

"Lucy how long until we get there?" Natsu slurred as he tried to hold back his sick.

"Still a while yet." Lucy said, thinking about how many hours of those hours he could realistically be knocked out.

"I'm never doing a job without you again." Natsu said gratefully.

Her heart melted and she realised how nice it was to feel needed. Lucy held his arm and helped him get up and back into his seat. He passed out soon after, which left her sandwiched between a sleeping Natsu and Gray.

…

Small talk came effortlessly because Gray was so easy to talk to. He was charming and asked her lots of questions but also had a tendency to brood which made Lucy feel as though she was somehow intruding on his thoughts. He wasn't really an open book like Natsu was but she did like him as a person.

There was some attraction there, but mostly because she had seen him naked and he had seen her _partly_ naked. He wasn't dating material though, because she would never know where she stood with a guy like that. At least, that was her theory based on extensive romance and erotica research.

She watched Natsu sleep for a couple of minutes before sighing. It didn't matter if there was some weird sexual tension with Gray because she wasn't planning on dating anyone for a very long time and besides, she would be tied up doing lots of work with Natsu and Happy to even think about boys.

Well, maybe she would have room for one boy.

"So how can Fairy Tail afford to have a company card like that?" Lucy asked, turning to talk to Gray.

"Kana has a knack for the stock market and we make a fair bit of money just from investments." Gray explained, moving his headphones away from one ear. "The rest is a small cut the guild gets from each job."

Lucy remembered Kana briefly. She seemed like a really interesting, wild girl. As bad as it sounded, she could picture her clearly because she smelled so much like liquor.

Kana had introduced herself as a fortune teller, and if the company card was anything to go by, she was good at it.

"Wouldn't it be cheating when she can interpret the future?" Lucy joked.

Gray laughed.

"She calls it speculating." He said, with a lift of his brow.

These people were seriously out of her league.

Lucy let Gray get back to his movie while she watched the little plane on the flight map as it moved over the line that traced their journey. She decided to get a better look at the dossier in case there was anything really important she needed to remember.

The case was too mundane to be a horror movie but also too weird to be reality. It was a family of three with a young boy around the age of six and two young parents. Apparently while the father was home, each night they would hear rattling and the house would be turned upside down with pots, pans and furniture everywhere when they woke up in the morning.

Nothing was ever stolen, but it gave Lucy the impression that someone was looking for something. There was no history of thieves in the town itself and the incidents were entirely isolated to that particular house only. Being a small town, the locals should have known if there was anyone suspicious around but everyone turned up short.

The man was a fisherman and left for long periods of time to work, leaving the wife and child home. The incidents didn't occur when he was away, but the towns people ruled out any possibility of domestic violence or anger because he was such a gentle person.

It was all truly odd.

Her guess from a quick google search was it was a Brownie. It was a little goblin-like creature that helped with household chores and only came out at night. They liked to remain out of sight so that may have been why it was never seen. It seemed like the simplest answer though, and Lucy knew that nothing was ever simple.

….

Natsu was beyond ecstatic to finally be off the plane and roared the moment his feet hit the tarmac. That was enough of a diversion to get Happy smuggled away without people noticing. It was hard to maintain keeping Happy hidden for so long and he had to run outside and manoeuvre under the gates to avoid going through the x-ray machines.

Lucy's legs were still numb for siting down and sleeping for hours on end but it was a relief to finally get some blood flowing back through half her body. Her ass felt so numb that if she got spanked with a baseball bat she probably wouldn't be able to feel a thing.

She hoped that it would be a long job so that they wouldn't be flying so far and then just head back again soon after but then again, she needed a payday and had rent obligations back home.

Pressing her hands against her butt, she checked if it was still there and if it could handle another drive. They were still some ways to go yet before they finally got to the islands. They had to drive and then get a boat. Then they had to find somewhere to stay and talk to the family before they even started the job.

Natsu brought her a drink while they waited for their bags to come through the baggage collect and she smiled, hoping that he was feeling okay. It was as though he was never sick in the first place and she was glad that he bounced back so quickly.

"Gray is just calling the family and then we can head off." Natsu said, as he pushed his hands through his hair to get his locks out of his face.

"We can't keep Happy waiting too long." Lucy smiled, as Natsu picked up her suitcase with ease and pulled out the handle for her.

"What are you carrying in this thing?"

"Just the essentials." Lucy said.

Counting on her fingers, she thought of all the different combinations of outfits she stuffed inside. You had to be prepared for every situation. Even business casual on a small fishing island at the top of Scotland.

Sitting against her suitcase, Lucy watched Natsu stretch his muscles and yawn. When looking closely, she could see each muscle and bicep through his shirt as he moved his arms over his head. When their eyes met, he grinned and she tried to stop herself from acting like a loser.

Guys always had this idea that girls were pure and didn't think sexy thoughts, but if Natsu knew how much of a weirdo she was, he would probably get back on that plane and fly as far away from her as he could.

Gray came over at just the right time, the phone in his hands as he texted someone. He didn't look up from his phone, but he assumed they were paying attention.

"Just got off the phone with the family. They're going to pick us up in a boat so all we need is to catch a taxi to the dock."

Lucy was relieved. She wasn't the best at finding houses and she didn't really want to go door knocking saying that she was from an exorcist agency or whatever they referred to themselves as. On second thought, it was best to ask so she would know.

As they got up, Lucy pulled her suitcase and it rolled easily on the airport floor as they made their way through each section. She wished she could carry light and just have a duffle bag like the guys, but that just wasn't realistic.

"Natsu, what _is_ Fairy Tail exactly?" Lucy asked, taking out her notepad and pen.

"It's a guild." Natsu said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lucy looked at Gray for help as he pressed his finger against his chin in thought.

"Hmm." Gray hummed. "I guess we're a freelance organisation?"

"Not exorcists or psychics or anything?"

They both laughed.

Lucy huffed with annoyance. It wasn't her fault that she was new to this and had absolutely no idea. Besides, it wasn't that stupid a question.

"If we were exorcists, we would probably have to take out Mirajane." Natsu said, laughing.

He grew silent and Lucy could see the wheels turning in his head as he actually considered it.

"Don't even think about it."

Gray whacked Natsu on the back of his head with his fist.

The two boys started fuming and Lucy hoped that she wouldn't have to break up a fight in the airport. They would probably be put on a no-fly list and have to take boats, trains and taxis to get home. By the time they got home, her landlady would have left all her stuff on the curb and changed the locks.

"So, what can you guys do?" Lucy asked as she tried to distract them.

They both became lost in their thoughts as they tried to explain how to define themselves. It was kind of endearing that they had probably been doing this for a while and still haven't come up with a job description.

When neither came up with an answer, Natsu jabbed Gray in the stomach with his fist as payback for hitting him on the head. Gray keeled over with surprise and coughed. Lucy tried to get between them before airport security was called and continued to walk in the middle so that they wouldn't lay surprise hits on each other.

In just a single day, it became abundantly obvious that the two of them did not like each other. Every time she looked up at one of them, they were glaring angrily at the other and ready to pick a fight. The animosity was stifling and she hoped to god that it wouldn't last the entire trip.

…

Lucy waited at the dock with weariness and excitement bubbling in her stomach, the feeling akin to an eventual stomach ulcer. The weather was perpetually overcast and she did not know if this was simply the default in this country or if it was going to storm.

Taking out her notebook, she described the key elements of the scenery. Seagulls cried and begged for food at a nearby take-away and the waves crashed languidly, entirely grey unlike the pristine bright blue beaches she had lounged in front of during vacations. It wasn't holiday material but it was definitely in her top list of beautiful places to be.

"Having a place like this in my novel would be so atmospheric." Lucy murmured to herself, pressing the pen against her lip.

"You're writing a novel, Lucy?" Happy asked, nibbling on a fish.

Lucy blanched. Admitting you were a writing a novel was always kind of embarrassing, because most people are writing _something_ but not many people ever finish what they started and rarely is it ever enjoyable or even legible.

"It's not finished yet and it's just kind of a hobby." Lucy said sheepishly.

Truthfully, she had been working on it for years and it was her life's work and not to mention her dream to be an author, but why get your hopes up?

Happy gave her a thumbs up and she knew that he was going to rifle through her stuff to try to find it when they got back home, but it was safely tucked away in a locked case she taped with duct tape against the side corner of her wardrobe where no one would expect to find it.

Some people might say that might be a bit pedantic, but that manuscript was her baby and she would protect it no matter what.

Turning her head, she caught Natsu and Gray fighting and she wondered how long they had been sparring for. At first it was impossible to stop them from getting angry at each other but now she wondered if they just communicated with their fists.

Right now, they were having a very stimulating conversation. So much so that a crowd had gathered. A bunch of men started taking bets on who would win as they watched them fight, but Lucy wasn't nearly as entertained.

"Both of you need to stop fighting!" Lucy scolded, as she glared at them both. "You are going to end up seriously hurting each other one day."

The crowd dissipated, except for a tall, wide man with a wiry beard. He had been part of the crowd that was egging them on and he looked more like a Viking than a modern-day person. His beard was thick and blond, with flecks of ginger and grey running through here and there, with a blond crop of hair that was well maintained and short.

His chest was wide and his arms were big and hairy. Judging from the smile lines and wrinkles around his eyes, he may have been a little younger than Lucy's dad but it was hard to tell.

"You boys from Fairy Tail?" His voice was gruff, but kind.

"What's it to you, old man?" Natsu sized him up, pumped up for another fight after the match he had with Gray.

The man laughed, "I'm John Stuart, but you can call me Jack."

Natsu shook his hand but from the stern look in his gaze, still did not know who he was.

He obviously hadn't read the dossier, but that did not matter. Their handshake looked so firm that they could both probably crush an apple in that grip and because of that there was an instantaneous comradery between them that Lucy was relatively envious of.

"Natsu, this is the man who gave us the job." Lucy whispered in Natsu's ear as the man turned to greet Gray.

As though a lightbulb had gone off, Natsu's demeaner brightened and he clapped Jack's arm as though he had known him his entire life. "Has anyone swam to those islands we're going to?"

Lucy slapped her palm against her forehead and sighed. This was their employer and they were already screwing it up. They owed the man at least a hint of professionalism and if they messed this up, he was probably going to send them on their way and not pay them and the guild would be disappointed in her because she would have a terrible track record.

"Hmm," Their client considered thoughtfully. "I've done it in my younger days but not since then."

Natsu cheered as he took off his shirt, but before he could take off his shoes, Lucy bonked him on the head. "You can try it later. It will take too much time and right now we have a job to do."

Natsu grumbled and Lucy felt pretty good knowing that she could order him around like that.

As Jack led them to the boat, Lucy noticed that it wasn't a yacht or anything fancy but just a dingy old fishing boat. It smelled just as bad as she thought it would and looked even worse. The deck had been scrubbed of anything offensive because of hygiene standards, but the smell of fish was still very present and pungent.

Happy was in heaven as he soaked in the smell and Lucy could see drool leaking from his mouth, but Natsu had already crumpled to the ground. She knew that she should help him, but she would let him suffer for a while after being so rude to their client.

As the boat took off, she held onto the railing and stood next to Gray. He looked as introspective as he usually did when he wasn't interacting with anyone and it worried her a little. When he brooded, he seemed tormented and she didn't exactly know what to say to break him from his stupor.

"Is everything okay?" Lucy asked.

He looked at her questioningly and she'd seen that expression before. In fact, she had made that same face before. The kind where you want to convince someone that there is absolutely nothing wrong and that they have the wrong idea.

Knowing that she was unconvinced, he changed the subject half-heartedly. "Ten years since I've been to Scotland."

"Oh yeah?" Lucy probed. "I think this is one of the only places I haven't been."

"Do your parents travel a lot?" He asked, keeping up conversation.

Lucy didn't really want to talk about her parents because she would start ranting and then probably cry. It was best to just not get into it because there weren't many positive or normal things to say and it would kill his buzz.

"Did you travel with your parents before you joined the guild?" She tiptoed around the question.

Gray looked at her knowingly.

They were both playing the same game of dodging and diving and the more they spoke, the less they got to know each other. Someone had to be honest, otherwise there would always be an odd feeling of distance.

"Gray?" Lucy murmured.

"Yes?"

"Why did you just take your pants off?" Lucy sighed, pinching between her eyebrows.

Never mind – she would never have any tension between Gray, no matter if he told her his troubles or not.

The islands came closer and closer and Lucy steeled herself to calm her nerves. The ocean breeze whipped right through her thin clothing and she wished that she wore something thicker, like Gray's black turtleneck and jacket. Even Natsu had a scarf to keep him warm, but honestly she still hadn't seen him without it.

Already her fingers were like ice and she sighed, too anxious and giddy to even realise.

This was her first job and she was going to make sure they resolved everything without a hitch. Not only that, but she was going to find links to her own little search. After all, this seemed like the ideal place for mermaids, right?

…

 **Thanks guys!**

 **Please leave a review, I would love to hear your ideas conjecture and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.**

 **Lots of love!**


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